Continuous liquid-separator.



0. H. N ONNENBRUCH.

CONTINUOUS LIQUID SEPARATOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 22. I916- Patented Aug. 14, 1917.

M/M'M Ami-@2142 $11 aflowei all may concern:

, NENBRUCH', 'acitizen of Germany,

the following a specification.

7 ously. v, Another objectofm chester and. State of STATES PA '.[.EN OF C o'rro nnmaron nomrmaucn, or new nocnnnnn, new roan.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 14, 1917.

Application filed name 22, me. Serial No. sense.

Hnmmon Nonand a resiin the county of West- New York, have inuseful Improvements of which Be it known'that I, ,O'r'ro dent of New Rochelle,

vented. certain new and in Continuous Liquid-Separators,

My invention relates to a device 'for the separating of liquids of difi'ferent specific gravities and refers particularly to a device w'liereby a m1xture of impure oil may be separated intopure oil and the impurities, and whereby this separation will be automatic and continuous.

One object of my invention is a device into wh ch a cotinuous flow of impure oil maybe introduced, the device being so ar: ran that the oil and the'impuritiesor slu ge will be separated from each other, and removed automatically and continu= invention a device in which the time of t e retention of the oil may be predetermined Another object of my invention is derationof liquids, that is capable of ready {adaptability 1to mixtures of hquids'of warymg P 1? 5" Anot er objector my invention is a deof oil thereinmay Another object-of my invention is a deare emitted automatically and continuously through separate exits.

Other ob ects of my invention will be evident uponr a consideration of my specificat s of qu ds of di ties which are not-sol tion and claims,

erent, specific gravible in each'oth'er and hence, lwhen allowed to rest, will separate into different layers and is particularly suitable for theseparation impurities when the of pure oil from its specific. gravities of the impurities is lighter an. water and heavier than thepure oil. q

The usually employed methods of separatlayers one. from the other is-to decent the up r layer,'or' to,draw o-fi the lowenlnyer; I edeoantation or withdrawal-1 the liquid of the next layer. opaque receptacles, such as iron, wood, etc,

' method when it is and retainedduring' of the operation may oil and the sludge invention is ada table to those m,

stances, such as carbon,

in'g it'unfit for reuse without purification.

I this purification,

the operator and demands the greatest care,

in orderFthat the one liquid may be com pletely recovered without admixture with In the use of it is imposslble to watch the condition of the procedure and there is no assurance that one layer has been completely withdrawn, until a portion of the next layer makes its appearance, and hence under these conditions a complete separation without admixture is impossible, It is evident that during this process the operator 'must be constantly employed in order that he may interrupt the separation. p

Further, it is impossible to employ this desired to retain a certain liquid withinthe recepproportion ofbone.

admix it with the next tacle, in order to layer of liquid, certaining the amount drawn.

of liquid not with My invention overcomes vall of the above and other difiiculties incident to this method oi separation and presents a device in which a complete and perfect separation of the liquids is effected, and automatically and continuously withdrawn from the device without'any attention upon the part of the operator and in which the time of duration particular requirements retained at that point.

' In the accompanying inlg two modifications'of my invention,

parts are represented by like numbers.

Figu

re 1 is a vertical cross section of one drawings. illustrat term of my invention;

as there isno means oi 'asbe varied "to suit the of theoperation and Fig. 2 is a cross-section through the line 2-2 of 'Fig. 1. a Y

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section of a modification of my invention. a

of. Fig. 3.

becomes impregnated with deleterious sub- Numerous methods have been suggested for ment at the impure oil with water and chemse, e'tc.,,. render-- among which is the treat-- 109 Y Fig. 4 is a cross-section through the line lowed to separate; and the following description refers articularly to this method of procedure a though it is evident that the device may e readily used in a corresponding manner, for the separation of any liquids which possess the property of being deposited in layers due to the difference in the specific gravities of .the various ingredients of? themixture.

In the device shown in Figs. 1 and 2,

tom, the bottombeing above the bottom of the tank 5, in order to allow a free passage between the tank 5 and the receptacle 8. Integral with the tank 5 is a three-sided member 9, open at the top andbottom and whichforms a receptacle or agitating chamber 10,

with the side of the vat 5. The pipes 11, 12 communicate with the upper portion of ref ceptacle 10, and the pipes 13, 14 with the lower portion of the receptacle 10." An overflow pipe 15, comprising the two. members 16 and 17, connected by the threaded coupling 18, meshing-with threads upiin the two members 16 and 17, is so arranged that the member) 17 may be. raised orslowered. An overflow pipe 19 is within thereceptacle 5. The bottom of receptacle 8 is lower than that of receptacle 10. By the arrangement shown," all of the compartment walls of receptacles Band 10 may be readily removed fromreceptacle 5 b raising the spider 7 r Y The op'eration'o this form 0f my invention is'as follows ;--Th e receptacle 5 is about half filled with water by means of the pipe 11, the water level being the same in receptacles 5, '8 and 10. The flow of water is continued through pipe 11 and the impure oil introduced into receptacle 10 through the pipe 12. If it is desirous to introduce a chemical to facilitate the purification of the oil, it may be readily introduced with the water through the pipe 11. Pipe 13 1s connected with a steam source and pipe 14 with an airpressure supply. Air or steam, or both, are then introduced into receptacle 1.0, causing an agitation and heatlng of the contents, 'As the introduction of oil and water is continued, the mixture will find its way under the walls 9 of receptacle lo -into receptacle 5, where the oil 20 will separate and rise to the top above the water 21, the sludge 5' is 'a cylindrical tank or separating chamber, open at the top and having an inclined conishown the evident that the water 21 willgradually rise.

in receptacle 8, the head of liquid in receptacle S-always being equal to the head of liquids in receptacle 5. As the mixture of liquids in receptacle 5 is of less specific'gravitythan of that in receptacle 8, the height of liquids in the latter Wlll be less than in the former in. equilibrium, and therefore any desired head may be obtained and retained in. receptacle 5, by raising or lowering the outlet 17 of the overflow pipe 15, the-contents of receptacle 5-passing out through the over-flow pipe 19. If it is desirable to increase the amount of accumulated oil'in receptacle 5, thus reducing the head, the out let"17 of the "overflow pipe 15 is lowereduntil the head in receptacle 8 is equal to the head in receptacle 5, and the reverse operation, that is the raising of the outlet 17 will cause a greater head in-receptacle 5 and a corresponding decrease in the amount of accumulated oil. It is further evident that by increasing the amount of accumulated oil in receptacle 5, the sludge 22 will be forced downwardly and into the receptacle 8, and hence removed by means of the overflow pipe 15. Fora continuousprocess, it is evident that theamount of pure oil contained in the impure oil introduced through the. pipe-12, must beequal to the amount of pure oil carried ofi by the outlet. pipe 19. As the'object of the operation in receptacle 10 is to properly mix the ingredientsto allow of separation of the oil, sludge and water, and as the operation in receptacle 5 is to allow of their complete separation into layers, the capacity of the receptacles, and the positions of the overflow pipes may be read- I 11y arranged to allow of the successful carrying out of the object of the device, consistent w1th the properties of the materials introduced, and treated. When experiment has rnpor position of the outlet 17 of the we .w pipe 15, for the retention of 'the desired amount of oil head in receptacle 5, the device needs no further attention, as I the'pureoil will continually and regularly flow through the overflow 19, and the wa-' ter and slu 'g'e will continually flow through the overflow 15. 'It is thus-seen that the de vice presents a method whereb may be separated into pure oi and sludge and these two ingredients removed from each other-continuously and automatically,

and that the device is adaptable to mixtures of varying properties.

The'modi cationshown in Figs. 3 and 4 is similar to that shownin with the exception that recep e 10 is entirely outside of receptacle 5, and carries a divisional wall 23 extending upwardly from the bottom, the impure oil' and water'being impure oil 1 and'2 is o introduced into compartment 24, and after agitation, passing over the wall'23 into the compartment and from there into receptacle 5 through the opening 26, the control of the amount of time during which the oil is allowedto separate in receptacle 5, and

carrying means for the introduction of liquids, means'for agitating the contents of said receptacle, a second liquid-holding receptaclc, connecting means between the lower portion of the second receptacle and the first receptacle, an overflow pipe in the second receptacle, a third liquid-holding receptacle,

connecting means between the lower portion of the second receptacle and the lower por tion of the third receptacle, an overflow pipe in'the third. receptacle, means whereby the overflow pipe in the third receptacle may be raised or lowered, and means for the continuous and automatic removal of the contents of the receptacles.

2. In a device of the character specified,

in combination, a liquid-holding receptacle,

walls within said receptacle extending down wardly and forming three chambers, said walls not extending to the bottom of the receptacle, inlet means within one chamber,

an overflow outlet in each of the other two chambers, means for raising and lowering the overflow outlet in one chamber, and

it means for the continuous and automatic removal of the contents ofthe chambers.

3. In a device of the character specified, in combination, a liquid holding receptacle having a conical shaped bottom, walls within the receptacle forming three chambers connected with each other at the bottom portions, means for admitting impure oil. and

chamber, means whereby the continued flow of oil or water in the first chamber will force the pure oil through the overflow pipe,

5 means-whereby the continued introduction of as described oil or water in the first chamber will force the separate, sludge and water in the *secondwi.

chamber into the third chamber, and an overflow 'plpe in the third chamber, carrylng means whereby its opening may be raised head of pure oil the second chamber.

4:. In a deviceof the character specified,

divided into three chambers open to each and lowered to maintain a predetermined" in combinatioma liquid-holding receptacle;

other at their bottoms, the mixing chamber being provided with means for the ,admis-m chamber, will force the mixture into-the= separating chamber where it will separate into its component layers, the upper layer being forced throughthe outlet, and the remaining layers being forced into the refuse chamber and from there through the outlet of said refuse chamber.

In a device ofthe character specified, in combination, a series of liquid-containing chambers, means in one chamber for the introduction of oil and water, means for agitating the oil and water, means for conveying the mixture of agitated oil and water into a second chamber, an oil overflow outlet within. the second chamber and means therein for allowing the separationinto layers of the oil, sludge and water, means for conveying the sludge and water into a third chamber, a sludge and water overflow in said chamber, and means whereby the overflow in the third chamber may be raised and lowered to maintain any desired head of liquids in equilibrium within the chambers.

6. In a device of the character specified,- in combination, a series of liquid-holding receptacles, connecting means for the passage of liquids between the receptacles, means for introducing liquids into the first receptacle, an overflow pipe in the second receptacle, means for causing the passage of the liquids from the first receptacle into the second. receptacle, means for causing the liquids to separate into layers in the second receptacle, means for causing the upper layer of liquid to pass through the overflow )lJG, means for causin the other. la ers of liquids to pass into the third receptacle and through an overflow pipe, the position of which in relation to the overflow pipe in the second receptacle may be varied, the overflow of the separated liquids through. the two outlet pipes being continuous with the introduction of liquids into the first recep tacle.

7. In a device of the character specified, in

" liquids into the agitating chamber, an outlet pipe in the separating chamber, an outlet pipe in the refuse chamber, means for regulating the position of the outlet pipe in the refuse chamber relative to the outlet pipe in the separating chamber, means whereby impure oil andwater may be introduced into the agitating chamber, means for agitating the liquids within the agitating chamber, means for allowing a desired separation of the oil, impurities and Water in the separating chamber, and means for forcing the impurities. and water from the separatin chamber into the refuse chamber, the elements of the device being so arranged that a continuous introduction of impure oil and water into the agitating chamber will'cause a continuous and automatic flow of pure oil through the outlet in the separating chamher and a, continuous and automatic flow of all of the impurities and water through the outlet in the refuse chamber.

Signed at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 20th day of March, 1916.

OTTO HEINRICH NONNENBRUGH.

Witnesses:

TERESA V. LYNCH, RrrA LYNCH. 

